[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Dover 12-11-1972 by L.L. No. 1-1972. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Noise — See Ch. 107.
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 121.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 135.
The purpose of this chapter is to protect the public health, welfare and safety by regulating the operation of snowmobiles on public highways and places in the Town of Dover in a manner which will be compatible with the use of such highways and places for vehicular and pedestrian travel and other uses and which will promote the safe and proper use of snowmobiles for recreation and commerce and minimize detrimental effects of such use on the environment.
A. 
The terms, words and phrases used in this chapter shall have the same meaning as such terms, words and phrases are defined in Title D of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law.
[Amended 2-11-1991 by L.L. No. 2-1991]
B. 
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
TOWN
The Town of Dover.
[Amended 2-11-1991 by L.L. No. 2-1991]
Operation of snowmobiles on highways and public ways of the Town of Dover and of the County of Dutchess shall be subject to the applicable provisions of Title D of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law, the rules and regulations of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the rules, restrictions and conditions set forth in § 117-5 of this chapter.
A. 
Streets or highways.
(1) 
Only the following streets or highways or portions thereof of the Town of Dover are hereby designated for the purpose of operation of snowmobiles on the roadways and inside banks thereof as authorized by § 25.09 of Title D of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law. It is hereby determined that the outside banks or shoulders of such highways are nonexistent or, by reason of normally prevailing snow conditions or by conditions of terrain, are impassable:
(a) 
On Deuel Hollow Road, from Route 55 to the Pawling Town line.
(b) 
On Regans Mill Road, from Old Route 22 easterly to its junction with Quarry Road or Lake Ellis Road.
(c) 
On Leather Hill Road, from its junction with Deuel Hollow Road to its terminus.
(d) 
On East Mountain Road, from Dogtail Corners northerly to the terminus of said East Mountain Road.
(e) 
On Lake Ellis Road, from its junction with the county highway known as "Dogtail Corners Road" northerly to its junction with the road leading easterly known as Berkshire Road.
(f) 
On Berkshire Road or Weil Road, from Lake Ellis Road easterly to its junction with the town highway which leads northerly to old Camp Unity.
(g) 
On Old Camp Unity Road, from Dogtail Corners in a generally northerly direction to its terminus.
(h) 
On Hilton Road, from its junction with Sand Hill Road southerly through the area formerly known as "Berkshire Country Club" to the road leading easterly toward Dogtail Corners and Old Camp Unity Road, which is known as "Berkshire Road" or "Weil Road."
(i) 
On Old Branch Road, from its junction with Lake Ellis Road easterly or northeasterly to the terminus thereof.
(j) 
On Sand Hill Road, over its entire length.
(k) 
On Johnson Road, in the area known as "Oblong Farms."
(l) 
On Oblong Farms Road.
(m) 
On Benson Hill Road.
(n) 
On the Dover Furnace-Chestnut Ridge town highway, from a point near the premises of Valhos or Wadsworth in a generally westerly or northwesterly direction to Holsapple Road and thence continuing over said Holsapple or Lossing Road to the county highway.
(o) 
On the road sometimes known as "Cooperstown Road," from its junction with the Dover Furnace-Chestnut Ridge town highway to its terminus.
(p) 
On town highway in Schreiber Development, sometimes called "North Wingdale."
(2) 
In the event that there are passable outside banks or shoulders upon or along said roadways, snowmobiles may be operated thereon.
B. 
Limited operation on highway; emergency. A snowmobile may be operated on a highway for the purpose of an emergency as authorized by Title D of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law.
A. 
Subject to the restrictions and conditions in § 117-5 of this chapter and the rules and regulations of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, snowmobiles may be operated on public land of the Town of Dover in the area known as "Wingdale, New York," which was granted to the Town of Dover by the State of New York, for park purposes, with the exception of that area within said public lands or recreation area described as follows: the area adjacent to the pavilion located on said premises, the Little League baseball field, the softball field and the pond on said premises.
[Amended 2-11-1991 by L.L. No. 2-1991]
B. 
Except as provided in Subsection A of this section, operation of snowmobiles on any other parks or land of the Town of Dover is hereby expressly prohibited.
Whenever the operation of a snowmobile is permitted on the shoulder, roadway or inside bank of any town street or highway or portion thereof as provided in this chapter or on parks or public lands of the Town of Dover, the following conditions and restrictions are hereby imposed on all such snowmobile operations:
A. 
Prohibited operating hours. No person shall operate a snowmobile on any town highway between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 9:00 a.m.
B. 
Financial security. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a snowmobile on any public lands or places of the Town of Dover unless the owner or operator of such snowmobile is insured against public liability and carries with him proof of financial responsibility in the manner prescribed by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and of the minimum amount as provided in Title D of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law. Such proof shall be displayed by the owner or operator of any snowmobile upon request to any law enforcement officer or to any person who has suffered or claims to have suffered either personal injury or damage to property as a result of the operation of such snowmobile by any such owner or operator.
[Amended 2-11-1991 by L.L. No. 2-1991]
C. 
Direction of operation. No person shall operate a snowmobile within the street or highway right-of-way of the Town of Dover between sunrise and sunset except on the right side of such right-of-way and in the same direction as the highway traffic. Operation on other public places shall be only in the direction, if any, marked by appropriate route direction markers.
D. 
Unattended snowmobiles. It shall be unlawful for any owner or operator to leave or allow a snowmobile to be left unattended on any town highway or public place while the motor is running or with any key for starting the same left in the ignition or elsewhere in said snowmobile.
E. 
Obedience to vehicular traffic controls. Each person operating a snowmobile on any town highway shall observe strictly all vehicular traffic signs and signals and all other rules and regulations applicable to vehicular traffic and shall obey the orders and directions of any state or local police or other law enforcement officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic.
Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed a violation, and the violator shall be liable to a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $100.
[Amended 2-11-1991 by L.L. No. 2-1991]
This chapter shall take effect immediately upon its filing in accordance with the provisions of § 27 of the Municipal Home Rule Law; provided, however, that no snowmobile shall be operated under the provisions hereof until such time as the signs and markers are installed or constructed in accordance with Title D of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law and the rules and regulations of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Department of Transportation.